Electron lasers have been described in the literature for some time. In particular, John M. J. Madey (B.S. Physics Caltech 1964, M.S. Electrical Engineering Caltech 1965) is the inventor of the free electron laser, first described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,410, issued Jul. 2, 1974, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. As will be immediately recognized upon reviewing the literature on free electron lasers, the apparatus needed to generate such laser radiation is complex, large, and expensive. Many other patents relating to free electron lasers, and relating to many other types of lasers, including gas lasers and solid state lasers, have issued. There is also an extensive technical literature on the subject.
The concept of radiation generated under acceleration (or deceleration) of charged particles is well known and has been discussed in the literature for many years. The term “Bremsstrahlung” means “braking (or deceleration) radiation” in German, although it is now sometimes used more generally.
There is a need for simple, small and inexpensive systems that permit the generation of radiation, including coherent radiation.